Role of an Education Administrator

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An education administrator wears many hats. He is called upon to take care of any issue that may arise that the teacher can not handle.

Additionally, administrators have the task of establishing routines for school emergencies. Also, education administrators set a precedent for the overall atmosphere the school. Usually, the attitude of the leader will end up being the attitude of most of the staff.

1 Visionary

An education administrator must first and foremost have a vision about how education should look in her school.

The administrator must be able to get parents, staff, community and the district to get on board with where she sees the school going.

An administrator must have the ability to get others to share the same goals and plans for the school. If an administrator is unable to do this, then the school will be divided, and the progress of students will end up lacking.

2 Observer

A chief responsibility of any education administrator is to observe teachers and make sure instructors are using proper instructional strategies and employing successful discipline. Additionally, it is the administrator’s job to ensure that all students in the class are treated equally.

An administrator must be able to spot problems and assist the teacher with resolving any instructional and/or discipline issues. Feedback from an administrator is extremely important for the teacher.

3 Instructional Specialist

Every administrator must be knowledgeable about what the best practices are in terms of teaching strategies.

The administrator should know what research says about the different education strategies and why they should be used. Most importantly, an administrator must be able to judge which cognitive tools a teacher should be utilizing at the various developmental levels.

4 Enforcer

One of the main roles of an administrator is to be the chief disciplinary enforcer in the school.

An administrator should make sure there is a schoolwide discipline management plan. Though it is the responsibility of the teacher to have a classroom management plan, it is up to the administrator to ensure one is in place in each classroom. When the teacher has exhausted all attempts to control or discipline a student and get results, the administrator is expected to handle the situation.

5 Overseer

There are many laws and rules which govern pedagogy, discipline and education standards.

It is the chore of the administrator to make sure all teachers are operating within these laws, rules and education standards. When this is not happening, the administrator must discuss the infraction with the teacher and decide if there will be any further course of action. The administrator must follow the rules in terms of how he handles an infraction.

Brenda Sanders is an educator who has taught in many capacities for over 15 years. She recently completed her doctorate in education from George Fox University. Brenda received her MAT from Pacific University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from California State University, Long Beach. She has also worked as a proofreader, editor and writer.

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